Court throws out 60-year sentence in porn case

DETROIT (AP) -- A federal appeals court has thrown out a 60-year sentence for a former Michigan school official who pleaded guilty to child pornography, saying the punishment is unreasonable.

The sentence for Craig Aleo was well above the federal guidelines of 25 years. The appeals court said Tuesday that Detroit federal Judge Bernard Friedman didn't justify why the punishment should be so high when compared to similar cases. Aleo will be sentenced again.

The Davisburg man was an assistant superintendent at Walled Lake schools in Oakland County when he was caught in 2009 with child porn. He made a video with a 4-year-old girl.

The judge called it "despicable." The appeals court also dismissed a $2,000 penalty against Aleo lawyer John Freeman who challenged some testimony ahead of a court hearing.